Four sentenced in stolen Great Falls fireworks investigation

GREAT FALLS—Four men convicted in the 2017 theft of explosives intended for a Fourth of July fireworks display in Great Falls were sentenced this week to terms ranging from probation to prison, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The defendants each pleaded guilty earlier this year to crimes associated with the theft of $18,000 worth of commercial fireworks from a trailer in Great Falls. The explosives were intended to be used at the City of Great Falls’ Fourth of July display. On July 3, 2017, a man called the Great Falls Police Department to report that someone had stolen the fireworks. The man had locked the trailer but when he arrived at the trailer during evening of July 3, he noticed someone had cut the lock.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the sentencings.

On June 12, Judge Morris sentenced Kris Harding, 48, of Sun Prairie, to three years of probation and to 200 hours of community service. Harding pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of explosives. Harding was prohibited from possessing explosives because of a prior felony conviction.

Judge Morris also sentenced Rand Emineth, 27, of Great Falls, to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release and 200 hours of community service. Emineth pleaded guilty to possession of stolen explosives.

On June 13, Judge Morris sentenced Shevyn Eugene Marshall, 35, of Great Falls, to six months in prison, three years of supervised release and 400 hours of community service. Marshall pleaded guilty to possession of stolen explosives.

Judge Morris also sentenced William James Outten, 27, of Great Falls, to 16 months in prison, three years of supervised release and 200 hours of supervised release. Outten pleaded guilty to possession of stolen explosives.

On July 4, 2017, law enforcement began receiving information about the fireworks theft and that Harding may have been involved, the prosecution said. A witness told investigators that he helped Harding and Outten, who was Harding’s roommate, unload about a dozen totes of fireworks from Harding’s pickup truck into their living room in Sun Prairie.

Law enforcement found fireworks in Harding’s pickup and a label on the explosives identified that they were from a Helena company that had supplied the fireworks for the Fourth of July show.

On July 5, 2017, agents received additional information that Emineth was in possession of stolen fireworks. The agents learned that Emineth had arrived at a home in Great Falls on the evening of July 2, 2017 and unloaded plastic tubes that contained fireworks and detonator devices. Officers went to the home and found Emineth, who told them Outten had been trying to rid of fireworks and had called him to inform him that police had searched the Sun Prairie home.

In addition, a man went to the Great Falls Police Department on July 11, 207 and wanted to turn in stolen fireworks. The man said Emineth had come to his home mid-day on July 2, 2017 and wanted to store bags in his shed. The man told officers that Emineth placed five bags in the shed and left. The man then learned about the stolen fireworks, went to the shed and found the fireworks along with yellow plastic control boxes. The man took the bags, which contained fireworks with the same label as the Helena company’s, to the police station.

And on July 12, 2017, another man contacted the police and said that co-defendant Marshall had provided him with some of the stolen fireworks and that he wanted to return them to the police department. The man dropped off the fireworks and agents found that they too, contained the Helena company’s label. The man told police that Marshall asked him if he wanted to buy fireworks. The man asked if the explosives were the stolen fireworks mentioned on the news, and Marshall said that they were. Marshall told the man he had paid $100 for the fireworks and showed him the explosives. Marshall admitted to officers that Emineth had approached him about the stolen fireworks and had placed them in the car he was driving but that they did not exchange money.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Great Falls Police Department.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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